Waking The Dead
by IcyJadeXOXO
Summary: Damon Salvatore's spirit made a deal with a witch...a chance to relive the final 24 hours leading to his death. But there's a catch...he can change everyone's fate but his own. With only one day to live, he wonders what he can do to make a difference. AU-ish.
1. Chapter 1

**TITLE** : Waking The Dead

**AUTHOR'S NOTE** : Huge fan of Damon Salvatore. This is my first-ever TVD fanfic. Long-time fan, newbie fic writer. Please be kind. (Story started out as a one-shot...and just grew from there.)

**DISCLAIMER** : I don't own any of the _**recognizable characters**_. They belong to _**L.J. Smith, Kevin Williamson, Julie Plec, **__et al.,_and **CW Network**.

**SUMMARY** : Damon Salvatore's spirit made a deal with a witch...a chance to relive the final 24 hours leading to his death. But there's a catch...he can change everyone's fate but his own. With only one day to live, he wonders what he can do to make a difference. AU-ish.

**WARNING** : Some spoilers, mostly season 4. Implied death of a major character.

* * *

**CHAPTER ONE**

* * *

Damon struggled, as he continued to run through the darkness. He went about blindly inside the pitch-black place, his eyes failing him...his body just about ready to give up at any moment. He had to keep running. He needed to get away from that invisible force that was chasing him, and the torture that came with it. He had been running for days...or has it been years. He didn't know for he had lost track of time. He had no idea why he was running, or who or what he was running away from. All he knew was that he would be in a world of pain once it caught up with him.

He died...that much he remembered. A stake through the heart was all it took. He died, and he had been running ever since. He recalled the first time that the dark force had caught him. It was as if it the pain was trying to rip him to shreds. Which was weird...after death, he was supposed to feel no pain. And yet, there he was. Tired, scared, alone, and in so much pain. Was he destined to go through this forever?

_So...this is hell then!_ Damon muttered. _Where was the fire and brimstone?_ he scoffed.

He looked forward, and slight glint caught his attention. It was like a beacon, the first sign of light he had seen in ages. He gathered his remaining strength and ran towards it. He had no idea what awaited him, but anything was better than the pain that chased him.

"Still running, I see." said a familiar female voice.

Damon stopped in his tracks. His hand shaded his eyes as he tried to adjust to his renewed sense of sight. "Emily Bennett?" he asked.

"Damon Salvatore. I have long waited to see you in here." Emily replied.

"Well, I'm sure you're not the only one. You should've sold tickets." he retorted.

A smiled crept on Emily's face. "They see you." she told him.

"They? Who's 'they'? What is this place?" he asked.

"This is your prison," she answered. "You are to spend your time in here, feeling all the pain and suffering you've inflicted upon others during your very long and miserable life. You will pay for every drop of blood that you've spilled...for every life that you've taken without remorse." she continued.

"For how long?" he gritted his teeth.

"For all of eternity." she replied.

"Yeah, I had a feeling that you'd say that." Damon smirked. "If you think that you'd make a penitent man out of me, then you are sadly mistaken. Didn't happen in life...not gonna happen in death." he scoffed.

"Such bold words coming from your mouth. You put up a brave front, considering your voice is still shaking." she said.

"I am not afraid!" he spat.

"Oh, but you are." she gloated. "Who would have thought? The great Damon Francesco Salvatore, petrified of the dark shadows from his past." she said, with a hint of glee in her voice.

"Shut up!" he screamed.

"Is that what you want? Silence? Do you want the darkness to come back? Are you really in that much of a hurry to suffer?" she taunted. She continued when she got no answer. "I didn't think so." she mocked him.

Damon lowered his head. He just wanted peace. The kind of peace that evaded him in life. The kind of peace that eluded him, even in death. His anger still consumed him. Why was he so angry? "Screw you, Emily!" he shouted frustratedly.

"What happened to you, Damon?" Emily asked him. "You were such a good man...nice and polite. A good brother and an obedient son. You had morality. How could you turn into such a monster?" she pressed.

"Katherine happened!" he answered.

"You've turned love and twisted it into some sick form of excuse." she told him. "170 years you've spent living, you had a chance to make a difference! And yet you chose to spend most of it in anger and inflicting pain upon others. Katherine made you a vampire...you became a monster all on your own." she said.

"Don't get all self-righteous with me, you hypocritical witch! You were the handmaiden of one of the most evil vampires to ever walked the face of the Earth. In your short life, how many times did you have to turn your head away while Katherine made innocent people suffer before she murdered them? Huh? You looked the other way while she toyed with me and my brother! Stefan and I, we never asked for the life we had to endure! Do not pretend that you were innocent in all of this!" Damon screamed.

"I'm not." she answered. "This is YOUR prison, Damon. I have a hell of my own." she revealed.

"So, what? You got bored over there and decided to pop by for a visit? Tell me, why the hell are you here?" he asked Emily.

"Like I said, Damon...you were a good man once upon a time. And that part of you were starting to resurface recently, not long before you died. Even though someone else can take the credit for that." she said.

"Elena." he whispered her name, clinging to it as a drowning man would to a life-preserver.

"There is good in you, Damon. Shame that it took you a while to rediscover that side of you." she told him.

Damon looked at her. "I saved your children, ensuring the safety of your bloodline. You owed me." he reminded her.

"I haven't forgotten that." she replied. "Every good thing that my descendants have done would not have happened if it weren't for you. And you're right...I do owe you." she admitted.

"All the good that does me at the moment! I'm dead, remember!" he sneered.

"It's been decided," she said. "You, Damon Salvatore, warrants another chance. Albeit, in your case, it is more like a 700th chance." she told him.

"What does that man? Are you going to bring me back from the dead?" he pressed.

"Not exactly." she answered.

"Then what, 'exactly'?" he insisted.

"We are going to 'rewind' your life...back to your final 24 hours. And in those 24 hours, you are free to do things differently. I suggest that you make peace." she informed him.

"Why do I get a feeling that there's a BUT coming?" Damon suspected.

"There is a catch." Emily told him. "You can change everyone's fate, but your own." she revealed.

"Meaning what?" Damon asked.

"Meaning that at the end of the day, when your time expires, so do you." she explained. "No matter what you do in the time that was loaned to you, it will still end the same way...your death. Think of it as a chance to ease your pain in the afterlife." she said. "You can accept those terms, or you can stay here and keep running until the darkness catches you." she added.

Damon thought of the deal that was offered to him into consideration. _ 24 hours? What the hell kind of difference can he make in 24 hours?_ He thought of his life, and the people that he left behind. His brother, Stefan...Little Gilbert...Vampire Barbie...hell, even the judgey little Witch. And then, there was Elena. He would crawl his way out of hell just to see her again, if only to make sure that she was alright, and that she stayed alright. Yes, 24 hours was a very slim chance to make any difference, considering he had spent at least three lifetimes causing people pain...and yet, it was a chance nonetheless.

Damon looked up and met Emily's eyes. "I accept." he answered.

Emily nodded her head. "We have a deal then." she said. She moved closer to him and grabbed his left wrist. It sizzled and burned upon her touch. "And this is so you remember it." he told him.

* * *

Damon screamed in pain, as he woke up to a start. _Had it been all just a dream?_ he asked himself. He looked around. He was lying in his luxurious bed, inside his own cozy room back in the Salvatore boarding house. He was panting breaths that his lungs did not need, his entire body covered in sweat. _Was it a dream?_ he racked his brain for an answer.

He then discovered the dark mark on his left wrist. It was more like a brand than a tattoo. A tetragrammaton pentacle...a witch's sigil. A reminder of the deal he had made with the Bennett witch. He looked at his mobile phone for the time and date. 24 hours before his death, as promised. The clock's ticking.

* * *

~**END OF CHAPTER ONE**~

* * *

**FOOTNOTE** :

*As I've said, this was supposed to be a one-shot, that grew into something else. Let me know how you like it, please. Thank you kindly for reading. Reviews and constructive criticisms are more than welcome.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N** : _Contains some spoilers from TVD 4x07 "My Brother's Keeper"._

* * *

**CHAPTER TWO**

* * *

The sun had barely risen when Damon awoke. He quickly got out of bed, eager to start his day, not willing to waste a moment of the time he was given. Borrowed...the correct term was borrowed. He was living on borrowed time.

He needed a game plan. He had less than 24 hours to make a difference, he wasn't going to attempt to save the world. Not that he would have done that even if he had enough time. No, his priority at the moment were the people that he cared about.

_I suppose I should start with Stefan,_ Damon thought to himself.

His strained relationship with his brother was in desperate need of fixing. It had been almost a century and a half overdue. He recalled his last conversation with Stefan, before he died. It hadn't been the most 'brotherly' chat, to say the least. They almost came to blows at one point of the conversation, had someone didn't exercise the virtue of restraint.

Yes, he'll start with Stefan. He only hoped that this conversation will have a different ending that the last one he remembered. He'll try and fix things with his little brother. But for now, nothing like a hot bath to start the day.

* * *

Damon ran into Stefan in the hallway. His brother was carrying a duffel bag, as he was headed for the door.

"Where have you been?" Damon asked his brother.

"Oh you know...out." Stefan answered flatly, as he sneaked his way past Damon, not looking forward to the chat.

"Where are you going?" Damon pressed.

"Out." Stefan repeated.

Damon sighed. Time to steer the conversation elsewhere. "Why so glum, Little Brother? Have the forest animals finally formed an alliance against you? Don't tell me that Bambi and the bunnies and the squirrels finally fought back." he gasped jokingly, trying to keep Stefan talking.

"Not in the mood for 'Damon humor' at the moment, Big Brother." Stefan replied as he headed closer to the door.

"Come on, Stef! Just trying to make conversation. Talk to me." Damon urge him.

"Also not in the mood for some brotherly chat either." Stefan told him. "You obviously haven't heard...Elena and I broke up." he informed Damon.

"Oh. Got it." Damon replied flatly.

"What? That's all you have to say?" Stefan asked him.

Damon sighed again. He had hoped that this conversation would be non-confrontational. "Well, Stefan, this isn't exactly the first time this has happened. Seriously, how many times in the past have you announced the big 'break-up bombshell'?" he asked, making finger quote gestures in the air.

"It's different this time." Stefan told him, the sorrow clearly visible in his eyes.

It pained Damon to see his brother in that state. "Nah. You'll be back together in no time." he argued. "You always find your way back to each other. You break up with her...you get back together. She breaks up with you...you two get back together. Lather. Rinse. Repeat. I mean, seriously, she got over the fact that you used to rip people's heads off after draining them of their blood. If that's not love, I don't know what is. This break up won't last long. You two will be back in bunny blood heaven in no time, trust me." he continued.

"I'm not buying any of these. Cut the crap, Damon! Let's not pretend like this isn't the best day of your life!" Stefan hissed as he tried to walk away.

"You really think that low of me? You actually believe that me seeing the two people I care about the most living in misery would give me some sort of levity?" Damon asked, luring his brother back into the conversation.

"You hated my relationship with Elena from the very beginning, Damon." Stefan pointed out.

"That was then. Things have changed. I figured I've made you suffer long enough." Damon replied. "As for Elena...I just want her to be happy. Even if it's not with me." he added.

"That's just it. She has feelings for you." Stefan told him, with emphasis on the word 'feelings'.

"Yeah, so what?" Damon scoffed. "In the end, she'll still chose you. Do you have any idea how many times I've heard her say 'It's always Stefan...it'll always BE Stefan!'?" he said, mockingly imitating Elena's voice. "Believe me, I don't stand a chance against the great EPIC love of Stefan and Elena. Because after everything's over and done with, the women in our lives always seems to choose you over me, Little Brother." he said, with a hint of bitterness in his voice.

"Damon...I-" Stefan tried to say something.

Damon waved his hand. "Whatever. I'm over it." he declared, doing the eye thing he usually does. "Here's the game plan..." he said, clapping his hands together. "We work together to find this 'cure'. You work on winning Elena back...you two get married...have the perfect little honeymoon. Just two more humans in a world of...humans." Damon cringed at the thought. "In the meantime, I say we go out tonight and get pissed drunk on sorority chicks, because we are way overdue for some brotherly bonding." he said with his usual smirk.

"Do you actually believe those words that are coming out of your mouth?" Stefan asked incredulously.

"What? Tri-Delts blood are notoriously very good for the healing process during a rebound phase. Take it from someone who knows." Damon wiggled his eyebrows.

"I meant about me and Elena." Stefan replied.

"I have had more than enough time to understand the fact that you and Elena deserve each other...process it...and move on." Damon told him in all seriousness. "Don't give up on her, Stef. She never once gave up on you." he added, patting his brother on the shoulder before walking away.

"Damon!" Stefan called him back. The older Salvatore turned to face him again. "Thank you." he said sincerely.

"You're welcome, Little Brother." Damon replied, he he continued to walk away.

* * *

Damon headed towards the parlour and poured himself a double shot. He looked at his watch to see that he was running a bit behind schedule. But he really needed a drink after that conversation he just had with Stefan. They weren't exactly lies...just half-truths.

Yes, women, at least those who mattered, had always preferred Stefan over him. Yes, he actually believed that Stefan and Elena deserved each other...at one point. And yes, their happiness really mattered to him. Does it hurt him to look at them, all happy together? Fuck, yes! Does it matter how he felt about it? Hell, no! Because in less than a day, he'd be dead. But at least, Stefan and Elena would have each other...for comfort and whatever. And once Damon was gone for good, he trusts that his little brother would do everything in his power to keep Elena safe. Elena's safety and happiness mattered to him more than anything in the world.

His cellphone rang, breaking him out of his thoughts. He saw the all too familiar name on the caller ID and sighed. He took a big gulp of his Bourbon before he answered the call.

"Prince of Darkness speaking." Damon cooed on the phone. There was a laugh at the other end of the line. God, he loved hearing that laugh.

"Damon, it's Elena." she replied.

"I know." Damon said. "What's on your mind, oh reluctant princess of the underworld?" he asked playfully.

Elena giggled softly over he phone. "I was wondering if you have plans for today?" she inquired.

"Ugh, between preparing for a possible scrap with Klaus, preventing Little Gilbert from going all 'Connor 2.0', and all the while attempting to find this quite possibly non-existent vampire cure, my day's kinda full." Damon answered, trying to sound nonchalant.

"Oh." Elena said, sounding disappointed.

"What are you up to?" Damon asked.

"Uhm, Caroline kinda roped me into helping out with this Miss Mystic Falls thing today." Elena replied.

"That time of the year again, huh? Has it been that long? I hadn't noticed." Damon said. "Anyway, I think it's good that you're going. Get your mind off things. Take Quarterback Matt, the human blood bag with you, just in case you get hungry." he added, seeming cold and distant.

"Okay." he heard Elena answer. He hated that she sounded so heart-broken, but he needed to do this.

There was silence for a moment. "Elena? You still there?" Damon asked.

"Yeah." Elena answered weakly. "So, what will you be doing in the mean time?" she asked him.

"I was thinking of confronting the not-so-good Professor Shane about what he knows with regards to these Brotherhood of Five...hunter people. There may be some threatening involved...a little violence...maybe even quite a bit of blood. Don't tell Sabrina, the teenage witch. Me thinks she has a bit of a crush on Professor Creepy." he replied vaguely. "Whoops! Look at the time! I gotta go. Places to go...people to kill. Yada yada yada! Have fun at the Miss Mystic Falls shindig." Damon told her. He hung up the phone without giving her a chance to argue, or to even speak.

It was easier like that. This way, he wouldn't have to relive the last time he and Elena spent together. That one defining moment of their relationship. It would be easier on Elena...as well as for him, but mostly for Elena...if that had never happened. It wouldn't be as difficult for Elena to mourn his death and move on, if they never revisit that little encounter. He wouldn't call it giving up...just letting go.

_Damn it! _Damon hissed. He hated taking the high and very annoying road. He took one last sip of his Bourbon, and threw the tumbler into the fireplace. Then he headed out the door to go to Whitmore College and pay a visit to Professor Shane.

* * *

~**END OF CHAPTER TWO**~

* * *

**FOOTNOTES** :

*So...how'd you like it? As much as I love Damon, I'm a big fan of both Salvatore brothers. It breaks my heart to see them at odds with each other.

*What happened between Damon and Elena? What was this 'defining' moment in their relationship, that Damon is trying to prevent from happening? Stay tuned.

*Many thanks for reading the chapters. Remember, reviews are welcome.


	3. Chapter 3

**CHAPTER THREE**

* * *

Damon grumbled as he walked the grounds of the Mystic Falls Founders Hall. He hadn't planned on attending the Miss Mystic Falls event, but his plans had to be altered when Carol Lockwood called for a Council Meeting at the last minute. Leave it to the Council to make up any excuse for a party to cover up meetings regarding vampires and werewolves. So now, instead of being at Whitmore College to confront Professor Shane, he was stuck in an episode of 'Vampires and Tiaras'...wearing a monkey suit, no less.

He fidgeted with his necktie and fought the overwhelming urge to rip it off of his neck. Little known fact about him was that he hated ties. Sure, he can rock a suit and tie...hell, he could even pull off the 'tie-only-and-nothing-else' look...but he hated ties with a passion.

_Stupid humans! They can think of ways to rule the world and yet they feel the need to start their day by tying a noose around their necks! Idiots_! he muttered to himself. Good thing that the man who invented ties was already long dead, otherwise, Damon would've snapped his neck.

Damon looked around and immediately saw Elena and Stefan talking. It seemed like an intense conversation, so he didn't even attempt to eavesdrop. Instead, he made a beeline straight for the outdoor bar before the two could even notice his presence.

"Bourbon, please." Damon told the bartender. The bartender poured him a shot. "Keep going." he urge the man to pour some more, which the bartender obeyed. "Don't be stingy!" he said, until the man had filled his glass to the brim. "Thank you." he finally left the bartender in peace.

He turned around to look at Stefan and Elena from a good distance, resisting the temptation of using his vampire hearing to listen into their conversation. As much as it hurt him, he hoped that the two were working out their differences, and on their way to getting back together.

_See? I can be fucking magnanimous if the situation calls for it! _Damon thought to himself, as he took a big gulp of his drink. He turned his head away when he couldn't bear looking at Elena with Stefan any longer.

"You okay, man?" he heard Matt Donovan's voice beside him.

"Peachy keen, Jelly Bean!" Damon replied sarcastically. "Mind your own damn business." he told the young man.

"Look, I didn't mean to pry." Matt answered. "Like you, I'm only trying to give those two some privacy." he cocked his head towards Stefan and Elena. "Just watching and waiting till I see any need for me to step in." he saw Damon raised an eyebrow. "What? I feel the need to protect Elena, since I am here as her date." Matt explained.

"I know." Damon told him. "I was the one who suggested that she ask you to be her date." he informed him.

"You told her to ask ME to escort her?" It was Matt's turn to raise his eyebrow.

"Only for nutritional purposes." Damon clarified. "Hey, baby vampire cravings are a bitch!" he said when he saw the annoyed expression on Matt's face.

There was silence between them for a while. Damon stared at the young man next to him. Poor kid had gone through hell these past few years. And judging by the look of things, he was still carrying that shitload of guilt of being responsible for Elena's death on his shoulders. Without hesitation, Damon called the bartender over and compelled him to give Matt a drink.

"Here you go. It's on me." Damon told Matt, who looked all confused. "You've had a hard life, Quarterback. I figured you must be in desperate need of hard liquor." he smirked Elena's date.

The two just sat there and drank as they spied while Elena and Stefan chatted. "What do you think they're talking about?" Matt asked.

"I don't know and I don't care." Damon answered, quite irritated.

"Are you ever NOT angry?" Matt pried.

"I'm not ALWAYS angry." Damon scoffed. "I go through alternating states of being cross, bitter, enraged, ferocious, resentful, irate, displeased, hateful, infuriated, and my personal favorite...MAD!" he said, his eyes widening.

Matt shook his head. "Yeah, I've seen you MAD." he reminded Damon. There was an awkward pause. "For what it's worth, I really am sorry for being the reason why Elena's a vampire right now." he said solemnly.

"For what it's worth, I really am sorry for being the reason why Vicki turned into a vampire." Damon replied. "Sometimes, I do things I don't have to do." he added, looking at Matt straight in the eye. "So I figured that we're square now." he added, patting the young man in the the back.

"Well, as long as we're being honest-" Matt tried to say something.

"You need to learn to pick your battles, Quarterback." Damon warned him. "Walk away...NOW!" he told Matt. Damon turned away and caught a glimpse of Klaus. "What the hell is he doing here?" Damon growled.

"Haven't you heard? He's Caroline's date." Matt informed him.

Damon almost spit out his drink. "What? Is her brain leaking? I thought she was with Scrappy Doo." he exclaimed.

"Tyler? Word around town is that she and Care broke up. Heard he's hot and heavy with that Hayley chick now." Matt replied.

"Which leads us to Barbie having a death wish." Damon took another sip of Bourbon. "Stupid human teenage drama!" he groaned.

"Anyway, thanks for the drink, man." Matt chuckled as he finished his drink, and walked away, leaving Damon alone sitting by the bar.

Damon took big sips of his drink, his full attention now shifted to Klaus. He hated the Original Hybrid, that was no secret. Sure, there was a moment when they banded together against Connor, but that moment was short-lived. Klaus' recent attempts to help find the cure was for his own self-serving purpose. Damon still didn't trust him as far as he could throw him. Then again, Damon never really trusted anyone fully when it came to Elena.

He continued to glower icily at Klaus. If glares could kill, Klaus would have been staked and decapitated by now. Damon still had Ric's White Oak stake hidden somewhere...if it weren't for the grave repercussions, he could have killed Klaus in the past. He still wanted to now. He had no problem killing those who meant Elena any harm.

Turning his attention back his drink, Damon chuckled. All the people that he killed in order to protect Elena didn't matter. He would gladly kill anyone to keep Elena safe. No remorse...he regretted nothing. He would gladly do it all over again if it meant keeping her alive. That's how much Elena Gilbert meant to him. Worth killing for. Worth dying for. Worth going to hell for.

He turned his gaze to stalk Elena and Stefan again. _Really? Still talking? This heart-to-heart chat is like Tolstoy-long! _he muttered under his breath. When he couldn't take it the sight anymore, he finished his Bourbon, stood up and walked away.

* * *

Damon went inside the Founders Hall, with hopes to find Liz Forbes. He didn't find the Sheriff, but he did find her daughter. Damon followed the sound of Caroline's voice upstairs in one of the dressing rooms. Taking a deep breath he knocked on the door.

The door opened and revealed a very annoyed Caroline. "Shoo! Elena's not here!" she tried to slam the door on his face.

Damon put his foot forward so that the door wouldn't close. He let himself in. "I know...she's outside with Stefan. I came here to talk to you." he told her.

"I'm busy! April needs help with her dress." Caroline replied. "Wait, did you just say that Elena's outside WITH Stefan?" she asked.

"Yes." Damon answered.

"Good." Caroline said. "I knew that they won't be able to stay away from each other for that long." She looked at Damon. "They're made for each other." she gloated.

"I know. Stefan's love is pure...he will always be good for Elena." Damon replied.

"Don't mock me!" Caroline sneered at him.

"I'm not mocking you, Blondie...I'm agreeing with you." Damon told her.

"Wait, what?" Caroline was confused.

"I think it's about time that I gave up the delusion that Elena and I will ever be together." Damon sighed. "I don't deserve her." he continued.

Caroline didn't know what to say. She could tell that he was being sincere. "Damon, I-" she said before he interrupted her.

"While we're on the subject of women who deserves better...tell me something. Which part of your brain thought that it would be a good idea to start dating Klaus?" Damon inquired.

"I am only fulfilling my end of the bargain. It's nothing romantic." she replied. She saw the suspicious expression on Damon's face. "I swear! There's nothing going on between Klaus and I." she told Damon.

"Good. Because Klaus is evil, manipulative, and destructive...and did I mention EVIL? It would be like a flashback to those days when you and I were together...only this will be 100 times worse." Damon confessed. Caroline laughed softly. "Listen to me, Barbie. You deserve so much better...more than Klaus or Tyler. None of them are good enough for you. You sure as hell didn't deserve me. Find someone who will treat you right. Someone who's caring and patient and thoughtful and loving. Someone who would appreciate how special you are. A man who's worthy of you. Because you are an amazing woman, and an even better friend." he spoke with such honesty.

"Why are you telling me this?" Caroline asked, her breath caught in her chest.

"I don't know." Damon shrugged. "I've had quite a bit to drink before I came up here." he managed a weak smile, before walking towards the door. He turned to face Caroline one last time. "Remember what I said." he told her, before exiting the room.

* * *

Damon proceeded to head back downstairs, his hands slowly skimmed the rails of the stairs, his mind caught inside a powerful memory. It wasn't that long ago when Elena descended these same stairs in that lovely blue dress that enhanced every part of her. And he was right there, waiting for her. A poor substitute for his temporarily insane brother. He remembered her hair, her skin, her face...even that slightest smile of gratitude when she saw him. Damon cherished those rare moments. Suddenly, he was broken out of his reverie when he heard her voice.

"Damon!" Elena called him.

Damon turned his gaze on the top of the stairs, and beheld her beauty. She wore that lacy, black dress that flattered her slender figure. Her hair was in a twisted off ponytail swept to the side. And her face...her sweet, beautiful, angelic face...

"We need to talk." Elena said to him.

Damon immediately snapped back to reality. He couldn't let this happen. He needed to let her go. "Not right now, we don't." he replied, as icily as he could. He noticed the confused expression on her face. "The bar's calling my name. Plus, Caroline needs your help with April's dress. And the bar is calling my name." he managed to force a smile.

"But-" Elena tried to speak.

"Uh-uh!" Damon waved his index finger. "Caroline and April comes first...we can do girl talk later." he said with a wink, before he continued his descent down the stairs.

* * *

Later during the day, the Miss Mystic Falls ceremonies continued. Damon stood with the rest of the invited guests, while they watched the pageant contestants danced with their escorts. Damon sighed and closed his eyes, as he attempted to block out more memories...but he was unsuccessful.

He remembered their dance all too vividly. The way he and Elena looked deeply into each others eyes. The way her skin felt to his touch. He had expected her to feel revolted...she didn't even flinch. He was jolted back to reality yet again, when he felt his phone buzzing.

"This all seems too familiar, doesn't it?" said the text message. It came from Elena.

He didn't have to scan the crowd for long to find her. Their eyes met and held each others' gaze for a moment. Damon managed to nod slightly and gave her a sad smile, before returning his attention to the dance in progress.

Moments later, he received another text message. "Save me a dance." Elena texted.

"My dance card's kinda full." Damon texted back.

Damon tried to avoid her gaze during the remainder of the ceremony. After sweeping through the crowd, he managed to find Liz Forbes. He already knew that she had no new information regarding Professor Shane...he just needed an excuse to get away from Elena.

Once he had said goodbye to the sheriff, whom he considered as one of his very few friends, he took one last glimpse of the party. He noticed that Elena was headed over to where he was...and she would have made it too, if Matt hadn't stopped her to talk to her.

_Thank you, Quarterback!_ Damon thought. Then, with vampire speed, he quickly ran towards the bar, swiped a bottle of Bourbon, and high-tailed his way out of there.

* * *

~**END OF CHAPTER THREE**~

* * *

**FOOTNOTES** :

*The Damon Salvatore Peace tour continues. I wonder who's next on his list?

*I loved and miss the Damon/Alaric bromance. But since Damon is on the market for another drinking buddy, I'm not against the idea of a Matt/Damon bromance.

*Many thanks for taking time to read this chapter. Hope you liked it. Reviews and comments are welcome.


	4. Chapter 4

**CHAPTER FOUR**

* * *

Damon ran off as fast as he could. His time was running out. It was starting to get dark, and he didn't really know where to go...or what else to do, for that matter. So he just ran and ran and ran, and when he stopped, he found himself in that dark cemetery in the middle of the woods, near the caves.

"Bet you thought you'd never see me again, huh? Hope you don't mind the company, buddy." he said, as he sat down on the stone bench next to the grave. "My feet just sort of carried me here." he revealed, as he opened the bottle of Bourbon that he had on him.

"Here's to you, Ric." Damon toasted, before taking a swig from the bottle. There was a brief pause. "God, I really hope that you're enjoying the afterlife with Jenna, instead of rotting in hell with Isobel. Because that would be too damn depressing." he sighed.

"Women, huh? Intensely exhausting, emotionally draining little creatures!" he scoffed. "I wonder if Elena has any idea that she's one of the major reasons why I drink?" he asked, a soft laugh escaped him.

He leaned forward and brushed some stray dirt on Alaric's gravestone. He took another swig on Bourbon. "Remember the last time I was here? I told you that I didn't get the girl. Well, there's been some development in that area. I know right? Shocker! Pigs can fly! Hell just froze over. The girl finally chose Damon Salvatore!" he laughed sarcastically.

Damon tried to stifle a sob. "She chose me, Ric. Elena finally chose ME. She wants me...needs me...loves me. Do you have any idea how I've been longing to hear her say that? Or how fantastic it felt once I've heard it? I expected to die of happiness...FYI, I didn't die of happiness." he added. "It felt amazing...to finally hold her in my arms, knowing that she was mine. To finally kiss her, knowing that it wasn't stolen...that we weren't just sneaking around. And it felt incredible to finally be inside her, knowing that I didn't force her to be with me." he exclaimed.

"Yes, I know that you're cringing and rolling on your grave at the thought of me having sex with Elena. But that's just it...it wasn't sex. We made love to each other. Go ahead, barf. But I'm telling you, Elena and I, we made a connection that time." he said, as he drank another copious amount of Bourbon.

"Her skin felt so wonderful against mine. And her lips...man, my tongue could live inside there forever, and I wouldn't complain." he sighed. He closed his eyes and remembered every single detail from that night...the ecstasy he felt once his and Elena's bodies were joined...the smell of their skin that lingered on each other...the taste of her blood, and the power it held over him. "My entire life, I've always felt as if that there was this great big hole inside of me that nothing and no one could fill. That time I was with Elena, I felt complete." he continued.

"For that brief moment, I thought my cold, dead heart started beating again." he said, his eyes starting to well up. He never intended for Elena to be one of his one-night bleeders. And if everything goes according to planned, he just might get his wish.

"But who cares?" he mused out loud. "After tonight, it'll be as if it never happened. I can't allow it to happen. It will be easier for me on the other side if I knew that I hadn't stained her. She will forever remain as my sweet Elena." he said, his voice breaking.

"I'm going to die, Ric. Well, for all intents and purposes, I'm already dead." Damon gave a light chuckle. "You see, I'm on this mission to make amends...in the very short time that I have left." he continued, as looked at the witch's mark on his wrist. "You're just a pit stop on the hit parade. Hours from now, and I'll be dead...again." He took another big gulp for the bottle.

"Big fucking deal, right? Everybody dies! Hell, if you can do it, so can I! But you gotta admit, there's something wrong in the universe when creatures like Klaus are allowed to live, while my death is chalked up as an 'acceptable loss'. I mean, COME ON!" his rage was overwhelming.

"I don't even know if there really is a purpose to all of this...making amends. Not like my funeral's gonna be packed...I don't expect it to be. Everyone hates me!" he sneered. "And it's not as if I can even tell you, 'See you in Heaven'...SPOILER ALERT : I'm not going there! I don't deserve heaven. And even if I did, how fucking boring would that be?" he laughed bitterly.

"I could have done so much more. I could have been a better man. Nah...who am I kidding?" he asked, shaking his head. "Stefan and Elena, they both have tried to change me for years...I couldn't be who they wanted me to be. You know why? Because I don't like playing pretend! Making me behave? That just wouldn't be ME!" he confessed.

"I am Damon Salvatore...the amoral, malevolent, sinister, dangerous, generally unkind, uncaring, cold-hearted, ruthless, unsympathetic and vengeful asshole of a brother. Proudly sadistic, unmerciful, remorseless, careless, cruel, arrogant and impulsive. Although as seductively charming as I am extremely vain, selfish, and self absorbed individual." he declared "Hah, carved all that in my gravestone, you bastards!" he took one last swig of his drink, finishing off the entire bottle.

"You wanna know what I think? I think it's a good thing that I'm dying. Because I don't know how much more of this I could take. Happiness just seems to elude me. And even it finds me, I seem to have a hard time keeping it. I just wanted to be happy, Ric...with the woman that I loved, who by some sort of miracle, happens to love me in return. And I wanted to keep her safe in my arms as much as I can...and teach her to be strong. Was that too much to ask?"he screamed, with a mixture of anger and sorrow.

"Damn it! This is pathetic! I'm reduced to being this whiny sap! I've lived too long. Oh well, death will come soon enough." he said, as he stood up from the stone bench.

"In the meantime, I gotta head over to Professor Shane's...see if I can rattle his cage." he added, as he started to leave. Damon turned back to give Alaric's grave one last look. "I'll see you soon, buddy." he whispered in a hopeful tone.

* * *

~**END OF CHAPTER FOUR~**

* * *

**FOOTNOTES** :

*Just a short chapter...my version of how Damon would rage against the dying of the light. Who better to rant at than his buddy, Alaric.

*Hope you guys like this chapter. Thank you for reading.


	5. Chapter 5

**CHAPTER FIVE**

* * *

Damon returned to the Salvatore boarding house a couple of hours later with a bit more clarity. He had all the answers that he could get for now. He knew what will happen. He knew what he needed to do. It was only a matter of time now. He went back to his room, and took a scalding hot shower. Washed away the traces of that God-awful day.

Renewed and refreshed, he sauntered his way over to the parlour. He reviewed his record collection and chose the right mood music. His picked an orchestra record and popped it into the player. _Yep, Glenn Miller just seemed to be the appropriate pre-funeral music_, he thought. He went and poured himself a drink, while the song 'A String of Pearls' played in the background.

He brought the cold tumbler to his forehead, with vain hope that it will somehow ease his weary mind. Suddenly, his senses were alerted to a movement out of the corner of his eye. He wasn't alone...there was someone else in the room with him.

"Go home, Elena." he said, exasperated. He didn't need this right now.

Elena merely shook her head. "What's the matter? Not in a sharing mood tonight, Damon?" she asked him, as she made herself comfortable on the sofa.

"How very rude of me." Damon replied flatly. He poured a shot on another tumbler and walked towards Elena. He handed her the tumbler, and sat on the chair next to the sofa, away from her. He raised his own glass. "Cheers." he said, without any mirth in his voice.

Elena studied him, as he leaned back on his seat. His eyes were closed, as if believing that she would just go away once he continued to ignore her. She marveled at him when he took the tumbler to his lips...those glorious lips she loved to stare at whenever he was speaking.

"I'm not leaving, Damon." she told him. She got no response. "You know, you still owe me a dance." she reminded him, as stood from the sofa and walked towards him.

Damon opened his eyes and saw her in front of him, her hand outstretched invitingly. "I'm tired, Elena. So very tired." he answered.

"Come, on. One dance." she urged him, until he took her hand and stood from his chair.

'What was he thinking? This was Elena. It was an exercise in futility to resist her.' he thought.

As if on cue, 'Moonlight Serenade' played on the background. Within moments, they were standing close in the middle of the room. He slid his arm around her, letting it rest down the small of her back, and drew her closer to his body...while his other hand wrapped in hers, their fingers laced together. She tucked her face to the side of his neck, inhaling his scent, and rested her head on his strong shoulders. Her other hand latched on to his shirt, clinging to him for support. He brought his lips to the side of her face and gently kissed her on her right temple, as their bodies slowly began to sway to the music.

She lifted her face to meet his eyes. Those unnaturally blue eyes...those enchanting orbs that she just can't bring herself to turn away from. She could drown in those eyes. She leaned closer, attempting to press her lips against his. And just like that, the song ended and Damon pulled away.

"Damon?" Elena felt as if she had been slapped.

"You said one dance...music's over." Damon replied, as he went back to his drink.

"Can we please talk?" she pleaded.

"We're talking right now." he sarcastically pointed out.

"What is going on? Why are you so hell-bent on avoiding me?" she pressed.

"Elena-" he sighed.

"Don't deny it! You've been so cold and distant. Did I do something wrong?" she asked again.

"No." was his one-word reply.

"Stefan and I broke up." she revealed.

"I know." he said.

"What? That's it?" she prodded.

"What do you want from me?" his voice raised.

"Any reaction would suffice." she told him.

"You and Stefan broke up...so what? Am I supposed to jump for joy?" he hissed. "Look...just because you two aren't together anymore, doesn't mean that you're with me." he said icily.

"I don't get it. Don't you want to be with me?" she asked, her eyes starting to well with unshed tears.

"He's still my brother, Elena." he reminded her.

"I know...I'm not asking you to forget that. I don't want to pit you two against each other. If I did, I wouldn't be any different from Katherine. Look, I know that this is hard on everyone involved, believe me. But I can't just turn off my feelings for you." she said.

"Why not? You've ignored it for so long...what's different now?" he scoffed.

"Damon, ever since I turned, my feelings for you have been more...intense." she informed him.

"Exactly. Ever since you TURNED. Can't you see Elena? None of this is real. You're just as confused as you were before. Only this time, your emotions have been magnified." he tried to point out.

"Don't give me that crap! I know how I feel about you, Damon!" she screamed.

"No, you don't, Elena! You just think that you do. Listen to me. What you're feeling right now...it's loyalty, at best. It's blind devotion to the blood that turned you, that's all. And having you drink my blood certainly didn't help! This is what I meant when I told you that blood-sharing is personal." he explained.

"No, you don't believe that! Stop saying that!" Elena said, her entire body was shaking.

"It's true, Elena. And it would be wrong for me to take advantage of you, when you are clearly not yourself." Damon told her.

"Stop it! Stop making my decisions for me. I pick you! I choose you! I love you, Damon!" she declared.

"Can you hear yourself right now? What happened to the good old 'It will always BE Stefan' rant? He's the great love of your life...remember that?" he reminded her.

"Yes, I remember! I also remember that the girl who said that is dead! She died in that accident when Stefan couldn't save her. I'm a different person now, Damon. I've changed. Maybe for the better, maybe for the worse...I don't know. But I'm not the same person anymore. All I know is that I can't figure this all out by myself. I need you." she sobbed.

"I can't do this!" Damon turned away.

Elena pulled him back. "Look me in the eye and tell me that you don't love me anymore, and I'll go." she dared him. "You can't do it, can you? Because deep inside, you know that you love me too. You loved me when I was human. And you still love me now. That never changed...even if I did. I can see it every time you look at me, Damon! Stefan...he looks at me now and tries to find that girl that he lost back at the bridge. He sees me differently...as if I'm tainted now." she told Damon. "You never make me feel like that. You love me for who I am." she reached for his hand.

"Stop this!" Damon pulled away again.

"You told me that you love me. You said that you will always choose me. You promised that you'll never leave me." she reminded him.

"Yes, I remember." he whispered.

"Then, why can't we be together?" she asked him.

"Because it will hurt Stefan." he reasoned.

"Stefan doesn't own me. I'm not with him anymore." she pointed out.

"That doesn't mean that it'll hurt him any less. He doesn't deserve this. He deserves happiness...with you." he said, looking away.

"But I love you." she gently caressed his face.

"Then forget about me! Forget that you love me. Forget that you ever felt anything for me. Just turn it off." he ordered her.

"I can't do that. I won't do that. You can't dictate me on how to feel. Not anymore! So stop doing that!" she tried to blink back her tears.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" he asked.

"I remember the things that you made me forget. And not just the first time we met. That night, in my room...when you gave me back my necklace, and then told me that you love me." she told him.

"Elena...I-" Damon was at a loss for words.

"You said that you can't be selfish. That you don't deserve me, but Stefan does." she recalled.

"He does." he answered ever so softly.

"You compelled me to believe that! It's not a secret that I've had feelings for you, even before I turned. But every time I tried to consider it, it was as if there's this voice in my head that kept telling me that you don't deserve me...but Stefan does. It was YOUR voice, Damon. It was your compulsion that made me deny everything that I felt for you all this time. Well, not anymore. I'm not doing that this time. I remember everything, and you can't make me forget this time." she said, with great determination in her voice.

She pulled him closer, her lips soon covering his. She parted his mouth with her tongue, demanding entry. Damon struggled, but she pinned him against the wall with her vampire strength. He pulled away, gently grabbing her wrists. He rested his chin on her forehead.

"I can't...we can't." he gasped.

"I love you...you won't let me. Who's being selfish now?" she whimpered.

"Let's just take this slow, okay?" he fought to take control of his emotions.

With amazing speed, Elena lead them both back to the sofa. In a flash, her body was on top of his, as she ripped his shirt open.

"Elena, please...you're not making this any easier." Damon told her.

"I'm done waiting." she muttered in between kisses.

_'Okay, maybe it's okay to be selfish...just for one last time.'_ Damon thought, as he deepened their kiss.

Elena's hand was all over his chest, while the other started pulling on his hair. Damon's hands roamed all over her body. With all the self-restraint that he had left, he pulled his mouth away from her. Elena moaned at the sudden loss of contact.

"Okay, we need to stop before this escalates." he told her.

"Why?" she groaned, resting her head on his chest.

"Because, I'm not going to be your rebound guy, Elena." he lied. "It's too soon...for all of us. It'll be like Aaron Rodgers replacing Brett Favre..." he couldn't believe that he was actually using a football analogy. "The man has skills, but it takes time to replace an icon." he chuckled. "Look, Elena...you've loved Stefan for so long. We all need some time to let this sink in, before we can all move on." he reasoned with her.

"I understand. And you've waited for me for so long to make my decision. The least I could do is give you some time too. We have an eternity to be together. I can wait forever for you." she affirmed emphatically.

"Eternity. Yes...we have all of eternity." he said, the sorrow audible in his voice.

He placed another gentle kiss on her forehead. He cradled her into his arms, wanting the moment to last just a little bit longer. He felt her relax underneath his touch. Pretty soon, she was sound asleep. Softly, he caressed her cheeks gently with is thumb. It was painful for him to look at her like that. He knew what he needed to do. So, summoning all of his concentration, he invaded her dreams.

Inside her dream, he took her back to the memory of their first dance. She looked so beautiful in that blue dress. She stared deeply into his eyes, as he held her in his arms. Together, they swayed with the music.

Elena smile at him. "You're good at this." she told him.

"Honey, I got moves you have never even seen." he replied with his usual smirk. Then his face turned serious.

"What's wrong?" Elena asked.

"I have to go away." he answered.

"Can I come with you?" she pressed.

"I'm sorry, but you can't, Elena." he replied somberly. "Elena...look at me. I need you to remember this. No matter where I am...for however long I am away from you...know that I love you. I will always love you. I will never stop loving you. You hear me?" he declared.

Elena nodded her head. "I'll remember...always and forever." she assured him. "But you'll be back right?" she asked, but got no answer. And just like that, Damon disappeared into the darkness.

Damon gently extricated himself from Elena's embrace. He never wanted to let her go...but he needed to. He took one last glance at her sleeping form. He had been an expert on 'last looks' within the past day. Except this one broke his heart the most.

"Goodbye, Elena" he whispered. And with that, he sped away and left the boarding house.

When Elena woke up, she felt a heaviness in her heart. She was disoriented and it took her a while to remember where she was. Her eyes roamed around as she tried to focus. She felt strong arms trying to gently shake her into consciousness.

"Damon?" she asked.

"Elena...it's Stefan." he answered.

"No...where's Damon?" she asked again.

"I don't know. You were alone when I found you here." he replied. "Are you alright?" he asked worriedly.

"No, I need Damon! Where is he?" she was frantic. "Where's Damon, Stefan?" the pressed.

* * *

~**END OF CHAPTER FIVE**~

* * *

**FOOTNOTES** :

*Longer chapter this time, thanks for the patience.

*So...the Delena sex never happened. Damon erased it from history. (That was painful for me to write, trust me.)

*Is Elena really sired to Damon? If so, what happens to the sire bond once Damon dies? Stay tuned.

*Well, I hope you liked this chapter. Will try to post more as soon as I can.


	6. Chapter 6

**CHAPTER SIX**

* * *

In a flash of movement, Damon arrived at the hill, at the ruins of the old Salvatore estate. He could feel it. He looked at the mark on his wrist...it was darker than ever. He braced himself. It will all be over soon. And this is where it ends.

He made quick work of climbing the hill. _'No need to drag this one out.' _he thought.

His eyes scanned what was before him. He saw Matt struggling to hold Jeremy down, as the younger man repeatedly broke free of his grasps. Before them was a rugged-looking man with steel blue eyes, who merely stood there and watched the struggle.

"Damn it, Matt! Let me go!" Jeremy screamed at the man he had come to think of as a brother. "I need to do this!" he said. He then turned his gaze to the man watching them. "Help me! I'm one of you!" Jeremy reached for the man. The unknown man merely brushed him off.

Damon cleared his throat, announcing his arrival. "What's this? A party at my property, and I'm not even invited." he scoffed.

Matt looked at him and gave a sigh of relief. "Damon, help me! Jeremy...he's not himself." he told the vampire.

Suddenly, the man made a move. He walked closer to Jeremy, and handed him a stake. "You say that you are one of us?" he spoke in a thick English accent. "Now's your chance to prove it." he shifted his gaze to Damon. "Drive a stake through his heart." he ordered.

Jeremy nodded his head and grasped the wooden stake. Quickly, he walked towards Damon. The older Salvatore stood his ground, as he saw the young man fast approaching. Once he was in front of him, Jeremy raised his hand and poised to attack the vampire. Damon remained composed...he didn't even flinch.

"Jeremy, no!" Matt yelled.

Jeremy brought down his hand to stab Damon, but stopped when the stake was merely half an inch away from his chest. "I-I...I can't" the young hunter said, as he dropped the stake on the ground.

The man sneered. "Just as I thought...you're not ready yet." he said.

Damon looked at Jeremy's hand to make sure that he was still wearing his family ring...which he was,thankfully. Fast as he could, he brought his hands to the young man's head and twisted his neck. Jeremy lifelessly fell to the ground. He then turned his attention to Matt.

"Come here, Quarterback." Damon called him. "Take Little Gilbert back to Bonnie's." he ordered. "She'll know what to do." he added.

"What about you?" Matt asked him.

"I can take care of myself." Damon replied. He saw that Matt still wasn't moving. "I got this!" he assured him. "Now go!" he repeated.

Matt nodded. He picked up Jeremy's body, threw him over his shoulders, and headed for his truck. Damon didn't take his eyes off of them until he was sure that they got away. He then turned his attention back to the man before him.

"_Of all the gin joints, in all_the towns, in _all the world_, you walk into mine." Damon said, with his usual smirk.

"Damon Salvatore, as I live and breathe." the man remarked in a sarcastic tone. "Haven't seen you since...Florence." he added.

"Vaughn...can't say that I've missed you." he said, his tone was caustic. He knew that the man was a hunter...but up until recently, he had no idea that he was one of The Five.

"Oh, the usual glib attitude, I see." Vaughn replied. "But you've changed, somehow. You seem...softer, dare I say." he observed.

"Really? What gave me away?" he said snidely.

"Well, for one thing...you're mouth isn't dripping with someone else's blood." Vaughn replied. "What has happened to you, mate? Has old age made you boring?" he asked.

"Glad to know that my blood lust serves as a great source of amusement for you." he answered.

"It used to. Back when you had the blackest heart of them all...long before your baby brother decided to upstage you." Vaughn's lip curled slightly. "Tell me something, what's the Ripper of Monterey been up to lately? Heard he went on a killing spree recently up and down the Eastern Seaboard. Charleston...Pensacola...Memphis...I lost track of him after Chicago. Or maybe I just lost interest. I did have other things on my mind." he taunted Damon.

"Leave Stefan out of this." Damon hissed.

Vaughn raised his hands. "Alright." he said. "You're still my favourite Salvatore, you know that." he chuckled.

There was a long pause, as Damon racked his brain. Finally, it dawned on him. "You're a Hunter...just like Jeremy is. Yet you're not itching to drive a stake through my heart." he said.

"You're acting as if you're in a hurry to die tonight, mate. Keep at it, and you just might get what you wish for." Vaughn threatened him.

"You don't have that crazy urge to kill vampires anymore. Which only means..."Damon continued. "You've already uncovered all of your tattoos." he deduced. "You have the map!" he exclaimed.

"You always had a knack of putting two and two together." Vaughn applauded him.

"Where is it? Where's the cure?" Damon insisted.

"It's actually quite funny...you go half-way _around the world_chasing something, and the whole time it's in your own _backyard_." Vaughn replied cryptically.

"You mean...the cure is right here in Mystic Falls?" Damon asked.

"Let's just say that all the major ingredients are in...you just need the materials to stir the pot." Vaughn let out an all-knowing laugh.

"Tell me where it is, Vaughn." Damon said, advancing forward till he was toe to toe with the hunter. "Look, you have a cure for vampirism...I'm a vampire. We can work together...like the scientist and his guinea pig. Think about it...it's a win-win situation!" he offered.

"Let me get this straight...YOU are volunteering yourself to test if the cure is real?" Vaughn's laugh only got louder.

"Yes." was Damon's determined answer.

"What's the matter, mate?" Vaughn asked. "Oh, I get it...you want it for Katherine?" he guessed.

"No!" Damon was revolted at the mere mention of Katherine's name. "I'd never do anything for that bitch ever again!" he told Vaughn. "But you're half-right...this is partly because of Katherine. " he lied. "I just want to take back the most important thing that she has stolen from me...my humanity." he said, trying to sound convincing.

"You miss being human?" Vaughn asked him, getting a silent nod from Damon. "LIE!" he screamed. "You...who revel in the taste of blood? You enjoy your immortality like the rest of them! Do not even think for one second that you can fool me!" he told Damon.

"Fine! I lied! I'm a vampire...we're nothing if not good liars!" Damon admitted. "But who the hell gives a damn what my reasons are? The important thing is that you have a lab rat! You don't need to know about my motives!" he pointed out.

"Oh, but I do! Because I know you Damon. You are as duplicitous as the day is long." Vaughn accused him. "How do I know that I can trust you?" he asked.

"You can't" Damon answered. "But that's alright, because I know that I can't trust you either. Besides, what can I do? I kill you, I get the curse." he pointed out. "So, do we have a deal?" he pressed.

"Not interested, mate." Vaughn answered. "Good try though. A little tip...try not to act so desperate next time. It puts people off." he gloated, as he turned away from Damon.

"To get the cure, you'll need the sword." Damon revealed. That caught Vaughn's attention.

"What do you know about the sword?" Vaughn asked, his interest piqued.

"Are we negotiating?" Damon taunted him.

"Tell me what you know about the sword first." Vaughn answered.

"Try not to sound so desperate. It puts people off." Damon mocked.

"My patience is wearing thin." Vaughn warned him.

Damon knew what he needed to say. "Klaus...the original hybrid, knows the location of the sword." he informed Vaughn.

The hunter walked closer towards Damon, until they were eye-to-eye. "See what I mean? Duplicitous!" he scowled at the vampire.

"I help you get the sword from him. You get me that cure." Damon offered.

Vaughn's lip curled into a malevolent smile. "I don't think so." he answered. Without warning, a stake popped out of his sleeve. He quickly raised his hand and stabbed Damon in the chest. "What can I say? You were right not to trust me." he said, as Damon's body slid to the ground. "Bit of advice...never tip your hand. It reveals everything." he added, while he watched the vampire's slow death. "The key is to always keep them guessing. Now that I already now what you know, I can take it from here. But what I can't risk is Niklaus finding out that I'm in town. It isn't time yet." He took out a handkerchief, and wiped Damon's blood off his hands.

Once satisfied with his work, Vaughn started to leave. He turned to give Damon's body one last look. "Sorry, mate. Oh no, wait...I'm not sorry." he said, before finally walking away...leaving Damon's body lying in the cold, hard ground.

* * *

~**END OF CHAPTER SIX**~

* * *

**FOOTNOTES** :

*So...that's how Damon died in my version of the story.

*The succeeding chapter(s) after this will be about my version of trying to find the so-called 'cure'.

*Thank you for reading this chapter. Hopefully, I still have enough of your interest to entice to read the next chapter.


	7. Chapter 7

**CHAPTER SEVEN**

* * *

Damon felt it...his spirit torn away from his body, and slowly left the physical plane. It wasn't as if he was walking, but more like he was being pulled by an unknown force. He knew what was happening...he had been through it before. Bravely as he could, he braced himself for what came next.

It didn't take long till he arrived to his destination. A blood-red door awaited him. It opened up, and he was quickly sucked into it. Inside was a long, dark corridor, with shadowy figures...wraith-like specters with malevolent eyes that glowed in the dark...all queued up, armed with sticks and torches.

Damon hissed in pain, as tried to walked past the figures, while their sticks ripped into him, and their torches singed him. He wanted to turn around and go back...but that way was shut. He had no choice but to move forward. Quick as he could, he pushed through the pain and carried on. He didn't stop until he reached the end.

_'Here we go again.' _Damon muttered.

Once he had reached the end of the corridor, he was thrown into a deep, dark pit. The fall itself seemed like an eternity, before he reached the bottom. He was stuck in a cold and pitch-black hole that emanated a putrid stench of the decayed. He went about blindly inside the pit, as he brushed off the unseen critters that crawled and clung into his skin.

The silence was deafening for a while. He tried to scream, but no sound came out. He couldn't hear a thing, not even his own voice. That didn't last long. An eerie noise soon filled the place. It came from behind him, an inhuman force that threatened to rip him to shreds. That's when the running began.

So he ran...and ran...and ran. All the while, he felt as if he was going to burst with fear, while he repressed the overwhelming urge to vomit. But he can only run so far for so long, before the exhaustion claimed him. Before the hopelessness sinks in...to just admit defeat and let the darkness devour him. Yet, once the darkness got to him, the pain and suffering it brought him triggered an instinctive need to break away from its grasp and run again. And so, another chase ensues. It was a vicious cycle that seemed to continue endlessly.

This was his hell...his punishment for his wanton ways of life. Payment due for every drop of blood that he spilled, every innocent life that he had taken without remorse. Looking back, Damon realized that nothing he could ever have done during his final hours could have eased the pain he was experiencing now. It was stupid of him to have thought otherwise.

* * *

Meanwhile, back at the Salvatore boarding house, Elena flinched and moved away from Stefan's touch. She got up from the sofa and began to look around.

"No, I need Damon! Where is he?" she was frantic. "Where's Damon, Stefan?" the pressed.

Stefan tried to calm her down. "He's not here, Elena. I have no idea where he went, or if he was even here to begin with" he replied.

"He was right here! We were dancing! He held me in his arms." she insisted, in the brink of tears.

Stefan remembered his last conversation with his brother. Damon's constant reassurance that Stefan and Elena belonged together. It made sense to him now. "He finally did it..." he whispered.

"Did what?" Elena looked at him quizzically.

Stefan looked at her straight in the eye. "Damon left town." He saw Elena shook her head vigorously. "We had a deal back then...whoever you chose, the other one leaves town. Seems that he made good with that promise now." he explained.

"You two made a deal...behind my back?" she asked. "And why would Damon leave town now, after everything that's been going on? It doesn't make sense!" she said.

"You chose me, Elena." Stefan reminded her.

"And we broke up, Stefan!" she pointed out.

"Yes! Which was his fault in the first place. He shouldn't have meddled in our business! He had no right to question the decisions we made in OUR lives. He should have left the minute he found out that you chose ME." Stefan said to her.

"He stayed...for me. Because he couldn't walk away. He would do anything to help me and protect me! He wouldn't just leave town now...he loves me! He told me so." she informed him.

"Why can't you see how wrong he is for you?" Stefan asked her.

"And who exactly do you think is right for me, Stefan? You? You said that you couldn't do this anymore! You walked away from us...from me." she scoffed.

"And Damon didn't, is that it?" he retorted.

"Stefan-" she sighed, unsure on how to continue.

"Alright, my mistake, I'll admit it. But I will stop at nothing to get you back. Trust me, Elena...I can fix this." he swore.

"You mean me...you can fix ME. How can you say that you love me when you can't even stand to look at me as a vampire!" she shook her head.

"THIS is not you! You didn't even want this. You weren't meant to have this life. " Stefan defended himself.

"You don't have to love me like this. This is who I am now. Nothing is going to change that...not even if we find this cure. That sweet and innocent girl you love so much...the human Elena...she's gone. She died when she went off that bridge. You need to let her go, Stefan." Elena tried her best not to cry.

"That's just it, Elena. I'm not sure that I can." he whispered.

"I love him, Stefan. I can't deny that. And I don't mean like some school girl crush or hero worship...I really do LOVE him. It took me a while to realize that...even longer to admit it out loud, but I know that my feelings for Damon are real. I can't lose him, not now." she declared.

Stefan was about to argue, when his cellphone rang. He looked at the caller ID and recognized it was Matt. He thought about just ignoring it.

"You should get that." Elena told him.

"It can wait." Stefan replied.

"Answer it. It might be important." she insisted.

Stefan sighed and answered his phone. "Hello, Matt." he said.

"Stefan!" Matt yelled on the line. "Is Elena with you?" he asked.

"Yes, she's right here." Stefan answered.

"She wasn't answering her phone." Matt told him.

Elena listened into the conversation with her enhanced vampire hearing. "I must have turned my phone off accidentally. What's wrong? Did something happen?" she inquired.

"Jeremy had another Hunter-related 'episode' earlier. We're at Bonnie's right now. She's trying to find a spell that could help him with these crazy urges." Matt explained. "Didn't Damon fill you in?" he asked.

"Damon's not here." Stefan replied, pinching the bridge of his nose.

There was silence on the other end of the line. "That's not good." Matt finally spoke. "He said he was going to deal with it. Damon told me that he could handle it. I shouldn't have left him there." he went on.

"Wait...you saw Damon?" Elena asked worriedly.

"Matt, calm down. Tell me where you left Damon." Stefan asked him.

Before Matt could answer, they both heard Elena scream in pain. Stefan turned to her to find out what was wrong. He saw her clutched at her heart, just before she slowly crumpled to the floor.

"Elena!" Stefan cradled her head and tapped her gently.

"Hurts so much...Help..." Elena managed to whisper in between gasps.

"Tell me what's wrong. Where does it hurt?" he pressed.

"Not...me. Help...Damon." Elena answered. "So...much...pain!" she gritted her teeth.

On the phone, they can hear Matt's voice. "What's going on? Is Elena okay?" he asked.

Stefan took the phone again. "Matt...something's wrong. You need tell me where Damon is. NOW!" he yelled.

"I left him at the hill...back at the ruins of the old Salvatore estate." Matt answered.

"Thanks, Matt. I have to go now." Stefan said, before he hung up. He looked at Elena and held her closer to him. "It's going to be alright." he assured her.

"Stefan?" Elena called him softly. "The pain's gone. I can't feel it anymore." she informed him.

Stefan breathed a sigh of relief. "Good...that's good" he said. "Stay here...I'll go find Damon." he told her.

"No, I'm going with you!" Elena argued.

"Elena, it's not safe. We don't even know who we're going up against. Just stay here. I'll call you when I find him." he said.

"You don't understand, Stefan. I felt Damon's pain. And then it stopped." Elena tried to explain. She shook her head and tried not to think of the worst. "I'm going with you." she repeated.

Stefan hesitated at first. Then he reached out his hand to grab Elena's. "Let's go." he told her, before they left the house in vampire speed.

* * *

It felt as if Damon had spent an eternity of pain inside the pit. Just then, he felt something pull at him. A powerful force that latched onto him, and it showed no signs of letting go. Then, he felt himself being dragged away. Dragged away or towards a yet unknown place, Damon wasn't sure exactly. All he knew was that the pain was getting stronger along the way. He screamed and howled, and he felt his eyes well up with tears. This pain was different. It felt real...like the physical anguish inflicted upon the flesh. And it was almost unbearable.

He then heard voices...familiar ones. He had no idea where it came from, but they were getting louder. And the louder they got, the stronger the pain grew. And the stronger the pain grew, the more desperate he became to just let himself succumb to it.

That's when he heard it...a sound that promised hope. That one voice which promised a welcomed relief...a sweet release from his hellish prison. He focused on that voice. With all the strength he had left in him, he held on to that voice, and allowed it claim him.

* * *

Elena and Stefan reached the ruins of the old Salvatore estate, and hurriedly climb up the hill. Upon their arrival, they noticed that the site was covered in a thick fog. Even with their vampire eyesight, it was difficult for them to see where they were going. Their ears were alerted to a series of caws nearby. Not far from where they were a murder of crows...on the ground, gathered into a circle. And right in the middle of their circle, laid Damon's lifeless form.

"Damon!" Elena gasped, as she ran towards his body.

Stefan followed right behind her. When they reached him, they quickly noticed the stake that was sticking out of his chest. Elena fell to the ground next to him. Damon's paleness was overwhelming, and it struck fear into her heart. The ashen color continued to spread through out his chest, starting from where the stake was embedded. She cradled his head gently onto her lap, tears now falling from her eyes. Stefan steadied her, before he removed the stake from his brother's chest. The ashen color had stopped spreading, but Damon's wound wasn't healing.

"Something's wrong, Stefan! Why isn't he healing?" Elena asked worriedly.

Stefan shook his head. "We're too late." he answered.

"No! Don't say that!" Elena exclaimed. She gently tapped Damon's face, urging him to wake up. "Open your eyes, Damon." she ordered him.

"Elena...he's too far gone." Stefan almost choked on the words.

"Stop saying that!" she hissed.

"I'm sorry-" Stefan tried to reach for her.

"Don't touch me!" Elena screamed. Then it dawned on her. "I can save him!" she said.

"Elena, he's gone." Stefan repeated.

"NO! I can't accept that. I won't accept that!" she told him frantically. "I can let him die, Stefan. I love him!" she said, trying to make him understand.

"What are you doing?" he asked.

Without warning, Elena bit into her wrist, and poured her blood upon Damon's lips. "Blood heals right?" she said. "Well, if my blood can break the hybrid's curse, create a race of hybrids, and link originals into one...it can sure as hell bring Damon back to me!" she told Stefan.

"Elena-" Stefan tried to comfort her.

Elena ignored him, and continued to feed Damon her blood. "Come on, Damon...drink." she urged him. "Please...I need you. I love you. Come back to me." she pleaded, her gasps turning into sobs.

They waited a while for any results. Just when they were about to give up hope, Damon's eyelids gently fluttered. He drew a short breath, before he slowly opened his eyes. He tried to focus, his vision was clouded and hazy. He seemed dazed and confused.

Weakly, he reached for Elena's hand, and brought her wounded wrist closer to his mouth. Veins snaked around his eyes and across his face, as he vamped out. The wound on his chest started to close, and began to heal completely. Soon enough, Damon sank his fangs deeper into Elena's wrist, as he continued to drink from her.

"Easy, Damon." Stefan warned him.

"No, it's okay. Let him drink." Elena told him.

Damon was now taking huge gulps of blood from Elena. "You need to stop now, Damon. You're taking too much!" Stefan said. Damon merely ignored him. "I said STOP!" he yelled, pulling Damon's mouth away from Elena's wrist.

"Stefan, no! He needs to heal." Elena contradicted him.

Without any warning, Damon's body shot up, and he hissed...his eyes were black as onyx, instead of the usual blood-red shade that it transformed into when he vamped out. With lightning speed, her grabbed Elena's neck, and sank his fangs into her carotid. Greedily, he began to feed on her.

"Damon!" Elena gasped in pain.

"Damon, stop! You're hurting her!" Stefan told him.

But Damon wouldn't...or couldn't. He continued to drink from Elena, until she began to grow too weak to even struggle. Frantically, Stefan tried to pry him off of her. He held Damon's head in his hands and quickly snapped his brother's neck, letting him crumple to the ground once again.

"No..." Elena whispered softly. Damon's limp form was the last thing she saw, before she closed her eyes as consciousness slowly left her.

* * *

All the while that this was happening, none of the three noticed that they were being watched. Not too far away from them, Vaughn lurked in the shadows and saw everything. An evil smirk slowly crept upon his lips once he saw Damon come back to life and recovered from his fatal injury.

Behind Vaughn, a hooded figure emerged from the darkness. "Seems to me like you missed his heart." the female voice taunted him.

Vaughn turned to face her, and quickly wrapped his hand around her neck. He then lifted her up in the air, and began to choke her. Staring into her emerald-green eyes, he sneered. "Do not make a mistake of mocking me again. I don't have to explain my methods to you. You do, however, need to learn your place, you little witch." he threatened the still unknown woman.

"My apologies." the woman managed to spit out the words.

Vaughn eventually sat her down again. He then turned his attention back to Damon. "It won't be long now, Little Crow." he whispered into the wind.

* * *

Back at Whitmore College, Professor Atticus Shane stood by the window inside his office. He stared at the sky, as a bolt of lightning split into the air, quickly followed by thunder, and a soft howling of the wind. A knowing smile quickly spread across his lips.

"Shane?" Hayley called from behind him. "Something wrong?" she asked, as she sat on his desk.

Shane merely shook his head, his smile unfading. "It has begun." he answered cryptically.

* * *

~**END OF CHAPTER SEVEN**~

* * *

**FOOTNOTES** :

*Apologies for the wait...it took me a while to recover from the sire bond crap reveal.

*Everyone have they own idea of hell, right?

*So yeah, Damon's back from the dead...again. But he's not really quite himself.

*Boy, Vaughn and Shane sure seems to know something that the others don't, don't they?

*Now, I'm not sure what Hayley's involvement with Shane is about in the series. What I do know is that Vaughn and his mystery witch may cause some trouble in future chapters of this story.

*Many thanks for reading. Hope you like this chapter. Reviews and comments are welcome.


	8. Chapter 8

**CHAPTER EIGHT**

* * *

Back at the basement of the Salvatore boarding house, Stefan watched through the barred window of the dungeon where he had Damon locked up. It had been hours since he had broken Damon's neck, and his brother was now wide awake. Awake, but clearly not himself. He observed, while Damon thrashed the place, flinging anything and everything he could get his hands on against the wall.

He closed his eyes, as he remembered the look on Damon's face earlier, when he tried to drain every bit of blood out of Elena. It was as if the Damon they knew had disappeared, and was replaced by an entirely different person. A shell of his former self. A monster with eyes darker than midnight. Stefan had wondered if his brother had become a ripper. He shuddered at the thought. As angry as he was at Damon at the moment, he wouldn't wish that vile curse of an existence upon anyone, especially not his own brother.

Ever since Damon awoke, Stefan had been looking for signs that his brother had come back as his old self. Unfortunately, that was not the case. Instead, he had to watch Damon rage against everything, and nothing in particular. He watched, as Damon violently and repeatedly pound on the walls, harming himself in the process. He listened as Damon growled and roared and snarled and howled, and emit other animalistic sounds. He still had yet to hear a human word to come out of Damon's mouth. He had never seen Damon in that state. His brother had pride himself on being in control...of not slipping over the edge. No, that man locked inside that room was not Damon.

"Damon..." Stefan called softly. His brother showed no signs of recognizing his own name. "Brother." he called again.

The sound of his voice had caught Damon's attention. He moved closer towards the door, panting and growling. His brother stared at him, his usual icy blue eyes were replaced by empty onyx orbs. Stefan wondered if this is what he himself had looked like when he was a ripper. He remembered the unexplainable fury, the uncontrollable blood lust, and the insatiable hunger. He pondered on the idea of Damon suffering the same fate, and the thought terrified him.

"What happened to you, Damon?" he whispered.

Damon merely looked at him, puzzled...as if not understanding a single word that he had said. Then, all of a sudden, his brother lunged at him through the small opening, and violently tried to grab his neck. But Stefan was quick to get out of his way. Without warning, he took the vervain dart he had in his pocket, and jammed the contents on Damon's arm, causing him to back off immediately. Stefan watched, as Damon's eyes gradually returned to it's normal blue color.

"Stefan...?" he spoke softly, before he slowly fell on the ground and lost his consciousness.

"I'm sorry, Brother." Stefan whispered. With a heavy heart, he took one last look at Damon, before he turned around and walked away from the basement.

* * *

Elena woke up to a start, her eyes slowly tried to adjust to her surroundings. She laid on a comfortable bed, in a room that she knew was not her own. Her clothes had been changed, although she had no idea by who. The place looked familiar to her. It took a while before it registered...she was at Bonnie's house, in Bonnie's room. Her senses was alerted when the door slowly opened.

"Hey there...you're awake." Bonnie greeted in a soft and soothing tone.

"Bonnie...how did I...?" Elena asked, confused.

"Stefan brought you here." Bonnie answered. "He had strict instructions to take care of you while he was gone." She averted her eyes. "He said that it's not safe for you to be living in the boarding house for the time being." she added.

Elena started to remember the events that transpired the previous night. "Damon!" she gasped and jolted upright, only to fall weakly back on the bed.

"Easy! You lost a lot of blood last night." Bonnie warned her.

Elena groaned and brought her hand to touch her jugular. The wound she suffered had since then healed. She closed her eyes and tried to remember the rest of what had happened. She recalled cradling Damon's lifeless body. She shuddered at the memory of Damon, dying in her arms. She remembered willing him back to life, bringing him back from the brink of death by feeding him her own blood. She remembered that horrifying look in his face when he couldn't stop himself from drinking her blood. And most of all, she remembered how Stefan had to stop his own brother, the only way he could.

"Oh my God! He broke his neck!" Elena exclaimed, as she sat up. Bonnie stopped her from getting out of bed. "Bonnie, I have to go to him. He needs me!" she said in a pleading voice.

"No, you need to stay here and recuperate." Bonnie told her.

"Damon needs me right now!" Elena replied.

"I don't give a damn what Damon needs! I care about you, Elena." Bonnie said. Elena was about to argue, but the sound of the doorbell silenced what she was going to say. "Stay here." Bonnie ordered her, before she left the room.

Bonnie went downstairs and walked towards the door. She looked through the peephole before she opened it. Outside was a perturbed-looking Stefan.

"How is she?" Stefan asked.

"Awake, worried, and stubborn." Bonnie answered. "She wants to see him." she informed Stefan. "Come on in." she told him.

"Well...just tell her that it isn't safe to be around Damon right now." Stefan said, as he stepped inside the house.

"Why don't you tell HER yourself?" Elena interjected, as she came down the stairs.

"Elena..." Stefan muttered.

"I told you to stay in the room." Bonnie said to her.

"I can't stay here." Elena shook her head. "I need to go to him. I need to know that he's okay." she told them.

"No, Elena...you need to stay away." Stefan contended.

"How is he?" Elena asked concernedly.

"Awake...and very angry." Stefan replied.

"Of course, he's angry! You snapped his neck!" Elena pointed out. "I mean, seriously Stefan...as if being staked wasn't bad enough!" she added.

"He was draining you of your blood, Elena! What the hell was I supposed to do?" Stefan defended himself. "Besides, I'm not talking just you standard anger here, Elena." he added.

"What do you mean?" It was Bonnie who asked.

"He's...not himself." Stefan answered. "He hasn't been since he awoke today. Hell, he wasn't himself when he recovered last night!" he told them, as he rubbed his hands all over his face in frustration. "I-I...I think he's gone Ripper." he said so softly, almost to himself.

"No...I don't believe you." Elena shook her head. "What reason could he possibly have to turn into a Ripper?" she asked incredulously.

"What reason did I have have to turn into one?" Stefan shot back. "Look, Elena. We don't know what really happened last night. Who was that mysterious guy Matt was talking about? Was he the one who staked Damon? Did Damon even fight back?" his questions just spilled out of him.

"Alright, everyone...calm down." Bonnie told them.

Stefan turned to the Bennett witch. "I need to talk to Matt and Jeremy. I have to ask them what they remember from last night. Do you know where they are?" he asked.

"They're both at work right now. I figured it was alright...keep Jeremy's head distracted from this Hunter business until I can find a spell for him. Matt's keeping a close eye on him." Bonnie informed them.

"There's really no shortage of problems coming our way, is there?" Elena sighed. She turned to face Stefan. "I really need to see Damon." she told him. She grabbed her coat and opened the door. Elena was surprised to see the man in front of Bonnie's porch.

"Ah...hello. I was just about to ring the bell." said Professor Atticus Shane.

"Professor Shane? What are you doing here?" Elena asked him.

"I called him." Bonnie confessed. "I figured we'd need his help regarding Jeremy's Hunter problem." she explained. "Please, come in." she told Shane.

Shane stepped inside the house. He noticed the unmistakable tension. "Nice to see you again, Miss Gilbert." he greeted Elena. "Did I come in at a bad time?" he asked.

"No, I was just leaving." Elena answered.

"Elena, no." Stefan blocked the door.

Shane looked at him. "Stefan Salvatore..." he said, getting a confused look from Stefan. "I met your brother, Damon, just recently. Quite a colorful character, to say the very least." he added.

"Not to be rude or anything, Professor, but I'm currently not in the mood to discuss my brother with you at the moment." Stefan replied icily.

"Stefan!" Bonnie chastised him.

"Is there a problem?" Shane asked.

"Nothing that concerns you." Stefan answered.

"Are you sure about that?" Shane insisted. "Perhaps, I could be of some assistance." he offered, with a mysterious smile.

* * *

~**END OF CHAPTER EIGHT**~

* * *

**FOOTNOTES** :

*I know, I know...weird way to end a short chapter.

*What is wrong with Damon you asked? And can Professor Shane help?

*Writing the next chapter as soon as I can.

*Many thanks for reading this chapter. If you liked it, please feel free to leave a review.


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